GB govt pleases former chief secretaries with lifetime VIP privileges

The Gilgit-Baltistan government has entitled all the former chief secretaries, who have served in the province, of lifetime VIP privileges.

A notification from the office of GB Chief Secretary Babar Hayat Tarar stated that GB cabinet was pleased to accord approval to extend special facilities to the former chief secretaries who have served in GB.

The notification further said that the entitlement is for former chief secretaries, who held a substantive charge (no additional charge) of the post (chief secretary) during a period commencing from September 9, 2009.

The facilities include free access to VIP accommodation at government guest houses, rent houses, circuit houses in Gilgit Baltistan, Islamabad or any other part of Pakistan, pick and drop service at Gilgit, Skardu and Islamabad with protocol coverage, detailing of staff car and driver for three days during stay in GB House, Islamabad, services of driver for lifetime, services of a gunman from the provincial police or an orderly for lifetime.

As per an official source at GB House in Islamabad, the facilities approved and notified by the GB Government were being implemented for the last few months. However, two former chief secretaries of the area, when contacted said they were not aware of such facility available to them for having served in GB.

A retired BS-22 officer, who served as federal secretary to the ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan said that “the development was shocking for the former bureaucrats especially for those who served in BS-22”.

“The facility is against the existing rule. The provincial government has no authority to grant this facility back dated. Law prohibits application of rules from retrospective effect. All the funds are provided by the Federal Government and cannot be utilised for facilitating an individual. The expenses are part of budget & approval of additional expenditure required approval from.”

“I remember once Punjab Government had raised the pay of the chief secretary and Inspector General of the province. However it was objected by Auditor General of Pakistan, “he said adding that the act of GB Government is illegal to act it could be quashed at once.

Interestingly Chief Minister GB Hafeezur Rehman, who had objected life time facilities to Chief Ministers (approved by former CM Syed Mehdi Shah), has facilitated the chief secretaries for enjoying such lucrative facilities at the expense of public money.